Light-emitting diode (LED) light bars a common after-market accessory for off-road and other sport utility vehicles, and emergency vehicles providing improved visibility in low-light conditions and programmable light arrays. LEDs are small, completely solid state, very power-efficient, long-lasting (as they have no filaments to burn out) and can be seen very easily even at great distances and in sunlight.
LED-based light bars can be made very thin, reducing wind resistance by around 8-10 percent. LED lights are also programmable with a wider variety of flash patterns because of their ability to be switched directly by electronic controllers, as opposed to discharging a capacitor through a gas-filled tube.
LED light bars are typically mounted across the roof or anterior to the roof of the vehicle to provide an overhead light without obstruction of the driver's view. Because light bars are mounted on vehicles, the face of the light bar is constantly exposed to dust, scratches and heat of the sun that can shorten the life of light bar. Thus, the useful life and appearance of a light bar can be aided by a protective cover. Many state laws require an opaque cover to be placed over such light bars as a safety precaution on the roads.
However, because of the length, position height, and position on the vehicle, it is difficult to apply a protective cover to the light bar. A person is required to reach up above the vehicle to access the light bar to try and place the cover on the light bar, and can only reach one side of the vehicle at a time. Thus, putting a light cover on a vehicle-mounted light bar is an awkward and challenging task, which may require the use of ladders and the assistance of another person.
Another problem is that light bars come in varied sizes and often without a light bar cover. Thus, light bar covers misfit many of the different light bar designs in the market.
Improved light bar covers are needed to overcome the drawbacks of conventional mechanical covers.